Yesterday, the Spokane County Redistricting Committee agreed on a final map that more closely adheres to the proposal outlined from the “Coalition For Creating Five, Equitable Spokane County Commissioner Districts.”

The final redistricting map incorporates the coalition’s values of equity, fairness, and competitiveness, and many of the principles that together we urged the Redistricting Committee to adopt.

Thank you to all of the organizations that signed on to the Coalition proposal and map, and to everyone who sent emails and testified (in person and on Zoom) in support of the Community Map to create five fair, equitable, and competitive voting districts. The press release that was sent on behalf of the Coalition (see below), applauds the members of the Redistricting Committee for their hard work and listening to communities who centered equity in the campaign for new county commissioner districts.

The final map:

  • Increases representation of BIPOC voters.

  • Creates competitiveness by proportionally dividing the city of Spokane among three districts that also extend into unincorporated areas.

  • Uses existing natural boundaries and transportation corridors.

  • Links communities of interest: Uniting Hillyard with East Central, and communities facing growth-related challenges at the edges of urban areas, including keeping Cheney, Medical lake and Airway Heights in one district.

We now have a district-based system for electing our Spokane County Commissioners, that ensures constituents get a more responsive government that matches growing populations. This is a major victory for better representation in Spokane County.

 

You did this!

Our campaign demonstrated the power of democracy and our community standing up for equity. This amazing effort in a very short period of time demonstrates our grassroots community power, and the strength of our relationships and connections that allowed us to move quickly into action to develop a community proposal and map.

Big thanks to all of the leaders and organizations in the coalition that participated in many workgroup meetings and attended Redistricting Committee meetings to develop, advocate, and organize in support of our vision for five fair, equitable, and competitive districts! Active workgroup member organizations include: Fuse Washington, League of Women Voters of the Spokane Area, Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Greater Washington and North Idaho, Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR), Spectrum Center, SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW, Spokane Regional Labor Council, and Greater Spokane Progress. We are very grateful to the expertise and support of More Equitable Democracy for their map making skills and analysis.

Thanks again for all of your involvement and support to create five fair, equitable and competitive districts!